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- Thread starter brodybuck21
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This. And this is why I am really zeroed in on the line commits and targets. Hartline can turn a lump of coal into a diamond in two years so by the time he's here and ready to go, he might be a star, hell all of the one's we get if they work hard should be.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Better Know a Buckeye: De'Zie Jones' WIllingness As a Blocker and Crisp Route-Running Could Allow Him to Be a Legitimate Slot Receiver As an Upperclassman
De'Zie Jones doesn't have top-end speed, but his willingness to be a versatile wideout and make plays whether he has the ball in his hands or not gives him a special skill set for Ohio State.
Better Know a Buckeye: De'Zie Jones' WIllingness As a Blocker and Crisp Route-Running Could Allow Him to Be a Legitimate Slot Receiver As an Upperclassman
Immediate Impact
With the two-deep at wide receiver pretty much solidified for the 2025 season, especially starters Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, Jones' first year in Columbus will be focused on developing off the field and improving his game in practice, something that he already began to do during the spring as an early enrollee."I feel like I've made a big improvement (this spring)," Jones said in the week leading up to the spring game. "From going against BIA, Coach (Hartline) and Coach (Devin) Jordan, and getting better. All the other guys helped me out. So, I feel like I'm definitely getting better."
Long-Term Impact
As Jones alluded to when he committed to Ohio State, the Buckeyes' wide receiver room is stacked year in and year out. That's what makes it the best in the country. That said, it will also make things tough for Jones in terms of finding legitimate playing time, especially early on as a Buckeye. He realizes that, though, and knows that he must put in the work to earn snaps."It's a big step, it definitely holds a lot," Jones said of joining Ohio State’s wide receiver room. "It's definitely a big dream of mine, and I'm blessed to be here."
Projected to be a slot receiver at Ohio State, Bryson Rodgers will likely be the backup behind Inniss in 2025 before taking over as the starter in 2026, which means Jones' first chance to be on the two-deep will be in his second season in Columbus. That said. If the 5-foot-10, 285-pound wideout perfects his craft off the field, though, he could realistically be part of the rotation as a sophomore before potentially becoming a starter as a junior.
While it will take Jones some time to fully develop and reach his ceiling, that ceiling also gives Ohio State plenty to work with and get excited about, too.
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